The Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) are nearing completion of a transfer of long-term stewardship responsibilities for 70 sites on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), including the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). The transfer from EM to LM is expected to occur by Sept. 30.
“In partnership with the Office of Legacy Management and our lead environmental program services contractor, Navarro Research and Engineering, the EM Nevada Program is proud to be advancing the transfer of these sites,” EM Nevada Program Manager Rob Boehlecke said. “We fully expect to complete the transfer on time and on budget. This progress supports our federal cleanup mission and shows firsthand what can be accomplished when a dedicated team works together to accomplish a goal.”
The transfer process also involves the review and transmission of more than 7,200 documents and records from the EM Nevada Program to LM. Once the transfer is complete, LM will assume responsibility for long-term surveillance and maintenance of the sites in perpetuity.
In accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO), the EM Nevada Program recently completed cleanup at sites on NTTR where contaminated soil and debris resulted from historic nuclear weapons testing and support activities. FFACO is a legally-binding agreement signed in 1996 that outlines a schedule of cleanup and monitoring commitments.
In the 1960s, sites at the NTTR were used to test nuclear weapons to determine if they could be accidentally set off and produce a nuclear yield. These experiments resulted in the contamination of soil and debris. During recently completed cleanup of these sites, contaminated soil and debris were transported to the Nevada National Security Site for permanent disposal.
For more information on EM Nevada’s environmental restoration activities, please visit https://www.nnss.gov/pages/programs/em/Restoration.html.
